


Twists & Turns

by Yeah_Whatever



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Banter, Bondage, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, First Dates, Mostly In Character, Opportunistic Bangs, Root antagonizing Reese, Root ogling Shaw, Root scaring Finch, Sex, Shaw eating, Shaw rolling her eyes, Smut, fries, iron, root flirting
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2018-06-11
Packaged: 2018-09-10 14:21:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8920471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yeah_Whatever/pseuds/Yeah_Whatever
Summary: Canon Shoot moments from POI that take different turns, turns that usually involve smut





	1. "I'm so glad you said that. I do too."

**Author's Note:**

> I've appreciated so much of what other folks have written I decided to try to contribute something myself. I hope it doesn't suck. I moved these separate works into one and made them different chapters.

Shaw felt and heard the zap as she collapsed in the hotel room where she was meeting Veronica Sinclair. Or who she thought was Veronica Sinclair. The real Veronica was tied up in the bathtub so, Shaw thought as she stared up from the floor while her muscles spasmed, who the hell was the woman who just tased her? And how the hell had she been had by some con artist in a sexy librarian outfit?

There wasn’t much she could do to get out of the predicament at the moment as her body twitched and her assailant chirped above her. “Veronica and I had a little chat before you got here,” the willowy stranger explained as she dragged Shaw across the room by her arm. “She tried really hard to remember anything else that could help me but she didn’t know anything,” she added with a shrug and a bird-like flap of her arms.  

The stranger then pulled Shaw into a chair. It would be a while before Shaw would get full use of her limbs again so her only recourse was to see what she could glean from this woman…and stare icily at her while doing so.

“I read your file. I’m kind of a big fan,” her adversary said with a bashful grin, like she was talking about a high school crush, her eyes twinkled mischievously. Then the taller woman’s face shifted to a more condescending grin. “So I really don’t want to hurt you,” she said, with a pat on the ex-agent’s shoulder as she pushed the chair back toward the wall.  Shaw’s eyes narrowed. This woman couldn’t actually think Shaw would be scared of her if she had read her file. And she wasn’t, she was annoyed.

This woman had used Shaw’s connection to Cole and Shaw had believed her ruse enough to try to protect her. Shaw hated getting played and it was something that rarely happened. She could grudgingly admit this woman had done a good job -- and her expressive face and lean body weren’t bad to look at – but this would never have happened if Shaw had been at the top of her game. She would turn the tables on her, once she regained control over her body.

Meanwhile, the taller woman seemed unfazed by Shaw’s cold stare. “I just need the name,” she said as she ziptied Shaw’s wrists to the arms of the chair. “You really have no idea what you’re caught up in, do you? Who you’re actually working for?” Shaw bristled at her tone but showed none of it. Meanwhile the stranger knelt in front of her to ziptie her ankles to the chair as well.

The stranger rose then leaned against the desk and crossed her arms. “Did you honestly think the source of the numbers was Guantanamo? Some sad taxi driver rotting away in a cage somewhere?” she asked with an edge of exasperation.

Shaw felt her intent gaze slide slowly down her face then her neck. “You should know torture almost never produces good information.” She smiled at Shaw and let her gaze travel further down her body. She then slapped her hands lightly against her sides. “Well, almost never,” she said with the glint in her eye that Shaw had noticed earlier.

Shaw heard her walk to the counter behind her. She wasn’t particularly concerned with what the woman planned, she’d faced torture before and had a high pain tolerance. Then the former operative heard steam release from an iron.

“Sadly, we are on a bit of a clock,” the stranger said as she lowered herself between Shaw’s legs and looked up at her. “Wilson’s men started looking for Veronica three hours ago.”  She flicked her tongue out to wet the tip of her index finder and touched it to the metal. “Mmm!” she murmured, satisfied with the sizzle her flesh made upon contact with the iron. She sat it down and scooted further between Shaw’s legs and reached up to unzip her hoodie, revealing the gray tank top underneath. Well at least this was getting interesting, Shaw thought, though the woman talked entirely too much.

Her nemesis pulled the edges of Shaw’s hoodie wider and leaned closer. Shaw resisted the urge to flick her eyes down the stranger’s thin blouse which the woman wore buttoned low down her chest. She rested her forearms on Shaw’s thighs, noticed the twitch in Shaw’s gaze and leaned in further giving her more of a view that the shorter woman resisted taking.

“Now Acquino was hired to build a home,” she continued, ”for something very special, something I want to find.” The women stared at each other for a moment, Shaw’s face indifferent, the other woman’s eyes dancing.

Shaw now knew what this woman wanted, and thinking of the hot iron on the floor, how she planned on getting it. What an interesting battle of wills this could be, Shaw considered. That further heightened the flicker of desire she’d felt with the woman’s suggestive positioning between her legs, and her leaning forward far enough that Shaw could catch a glimpse of the initial curve of her breast if she so chose. That the woman had knowingly offered more when she saw the Shaw’s gaze twitch was also intriguing. Two could play at this game, the ex-agent decided.

The stranger picked up the iron and leaned in close. She held it inches from Shaw’s chest just above her tank top. “So you’re going to tell me the name of his contact.” She grinned, flashing her canines, as she edged the metal closer to Shaw’s skin.

“One of the things they left out of my file,” Shaw monotoned eyes half-lidded as she stared unperturbed at her adversary, a challenge lurking behind her gaze. “I kind of enjoy this sort of thing.”

The taller woman’s eyes lit up and Shaw then realized what she’d seen in the woman’s gaze before…delight. “I’m so glad you said that,” she responded, her smile widening. She waggled the iron at Shaw. “I do too.”

“Unfortunately for you, I don’t know his contact,” Shaw replied.

The stranger leaned closer and wiggled a bit between Shaw’s legs, a movement the shorter woman tried to ignore. “You can do better than that,” she admonished, moving the iron closer to Shaw’s chest. Shaw stared at her coolly and didn’t speak. While they stared at each other Shaw inhaled slowly. The movement expanded her ribcage until her chest almost touched the hot iron and then she slowly exhaled, a smirk ghosting across her lips.

Well, well, well, Root thought to herself, as she watched Shaw’s chest arch toward the hot metal. She felt the ex-opertive’s defiant stare and had to stop herself from biting her lip. This was far more intriguing than she had anticipated.

When Shaw had entered the room Root had been a little thrown by how attractive she was in person. She’d seen pictures of course, and no one could deny that Sameen Shaw was beautiful. But photos didn’t do justice to the fiery intensity that laid just beneath her calm demeanor. Root itched to scratch beneath that surface. And being crouched between Shaw’s legs was turning her on more than she’d like to admit

“Suit yourself,” Root said with a tilt of her head and a smile. She pressed the iron flush onto Shaw’s chest and heard the skin hiss as Shaw clenched her jaw and sucked in a breath. Root took the iron away and saw the triangular red imprint left by the metal tip and saw Shaw looking at her with what initially seemed like boredom but Root could feel the undercurrents of rage and, just maybe, lust. Damn if that wasn’t hot, she thought. 

When she had said to Shaw that torture rarely produced good information, she was right. And she’d gathered from reading Shaw’s file that torture wouldn’t work on the ex-Marine but she figured she’d give it a try, anyway. That it had turned into…whatever this was…was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.

“Oh, where are my manners,” she then said and reached for something behind Shaw. Meanwhile, Shaw tried to move but her arms and legs weren’t functional yet. The iron wasn’t a surprise and she’s had worse done to her. Withstanding pain was something she was good at, took pride in, even. She enjoyed controlling her response to pain. It was especially gratifying when an opponent thought they had her under their thumb and just by not reacting as they thought she would, Shaw could undermine their concept of who was in control.

But this woman was not responding like most did, and didn’t seem the least bit put off by Shaw’s casual reaction to being branded. If anything she was even more delighted than before.

“Here we go,” Root said as she placed a bucket by her, near Shaw’s leg. Shaw didn’t know what she was playing at now until she brought an ice cube up in her slender hand. She twirled it around as it began to slowly drip down her long fingers. She pressed the ice to the spot on Shaw’s chest just above the reddened skin. She stared as drops ran from the melting ice over the iron imprint and down onto Shaw’s tank top.    

The cold water indeed felt good, though something about how closely the woman was staring at her chest as Shaw breathed through the hot/cold sensations was making Shaw warm elsewhere. The taller woman’s mouth fell open slightly and her tongue ran across her bottom lip. Shaw gave into her urge from earlier and glanced down the woman’s shirt, seeing the soft curve of the top of her breast against a lacy black bra.

Shaw jerked her eyes up when she felt the ice cube move lower. Root was looking at her eyes now, her own darkened with desire. “Like what you see?” Root asked. Her voice was huskier than before and she drew her finger down the edge of the opening of her blouse until she reached where it met just between her breasts. She toyed with the button there as if contemplating releasing it. Shaw felt compelled to follow the path of her finger and heard her throaty chuckle.

Shaw moved her eyes back up, staring forward impassively as Root moved the ice cube lower down over Shaw’s breast toward her nipple. Shaw felt the cold through her thin top. Root stopped the ice cube right above its target but Shaw felt the nub tighten in anticipation. Root noticed it, too. “Well then,” she said, licking her lips again.

Root stared at Shaw’s chest as she eased the half-melted ice over the very tip of Shaw’s nipple, making it even more visibly erect through the thin material covering it. She slowly moved it in a circle and on the second time around her cold fingertip brushed lightly over the straining tip. Shaw stifled a groan and felt herself getting wet. The angrier Shaw got at her body for betraying her the more stoic and unmoved she looked. The problem was her eyes couldn’t hold the disinterest completely and flickered with a building fury.  

Meanwhile, Root’s mouth had gone dry and she wanted nothing more than to run her tongue over Shaw’s nipple and suck it into her mouth. Instead she kept moving the dwindling ice cube around and over the tip as Shaw’s breath grew more shallow.

“Looks like things are a little wet over here,” Root grinned. Shaw rolled her eyes at the atrocious line, immediately feeling less turned on and more like she wanted to punch this woman. “I think other things have gotten a little wet, too” Root added and Shaw snapped her eyes back and narrowed them. Root ran her hand down the front of her blouse, edging it slighting to the side, then kept trailing her fingers further down. She reached the front of her skirt, and slipped her hand down inside it. Shaw couldn’t take her eyes away. Root fiddled with the edge of her underwear then slipped a finger under it, her eyelids fluttering with what she found.

Shaw shot her eyes back up, this time to focus resolutely on the ceiling. The last thing she needed right now was to watch this crazy but admittedly hot woman touch herself. It was bad enough that she herself had already gotten wet from the iron and ice cube but she’d have an even harder time keeping her cool if she were to watch this.

“Sameen,” Root admonished, “eyes down here.” Shaw refused, focusing instead on her dislike of this woman using her given name. “I’ll have to resort to using the iron again if you don’t comply,” she said in an unconcerned tone, knowing what Shaw would choose. At least she sounded like she was no longer touching herself, Shaw thought, as she continued staring up, that was an improvement.

She heard another puff of steam as the iron was picked up. Root steadily brought it forward and pressed it against the other side of her chest. Shaw felt herself jerk slightly as she breathed through the pain. Her gaze snapped forward, defiant, while Root looked at her with unabashed lust.

“Mmmm, I do love symmetry,” Root murmured as she picked up another ice cube from the bucked and applied it to the right side of Shaw’s chest. She leaned in close and as she did so Shaw noticed she had unbuttoned her shirt further while Shaw had been staring at the ceiling. She could easily see the black lacy bra barely covering the peaks of her pale breasts, and tore her gaze away.

But that didn’t help as Root lowered the ice cube toward her other nipple. But this time as she swirled the ice over one, she grazed her fingertips over the other, watching it harden again. Shaw let out a short grunt. Damn this was getting to her and she felt her clit throb with need. Almost as if Root knew, she leaned forward further, pressing her midsection against Shaw between her thighs.

Root caught Shaw’s eye and smiled almost predatorily as she lowered her head toward Shaw’s breast. Shaw groaned as she felt Root’s warm tongue languidly stroke her nipple and flick around it. Then Root sucked it into her mouth, Shaw felt the sharp tug go directly from her nipple to her groin. The visual of Root’s red lips on her breast was also doing something to Shaw and without totally realizing it she tried to arch her hips to get more contact.

“Mmmm” Root hummed against Shaw, the vibration traveling to Shaw’s clit, desperate for friction. Root leaned into Shaw for a brief second acceding to her request but then pulled back. Shaw exhaled in a huff and glared again at Root. “I don’t think we’re quite there…yet,” Root said with a smile, her eyes soft and dark.

She ran her fingers down her shirt and idly unbuttoned the last two buttons while she tossed her hair and arched her back a bit, giving Shaw a clear view of her long, slender neck. “After all” she continued as she slowly stood up, still between Shaw’s legs. “You don’t even know me.” She slid the blouse from her pale shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. “Though I guess we could rectify that. You can call me Root.”  She reached down under her skirt again. Her fingers slipped under her underwear and found herself wetter than before.

This time Shaw kept watching. As Root slowly slid a finger along her sex she watched as Shaw’s heavily lidded eyes followed her every move. Root slowly moved her finger inside her slick folds and moved up to gently tease her clit. Shaw’s lips parted slightly as her breath hitched. Root could feel herself getting even more aroused. It was such a turn on to test Shaw with the iron and put her tongue on Shaw’s nipple, even through the fabric. But none of that compared to seeing Sameen watch her touch herself.

She’d seen the fury in Shaw’s eyes earlier and that look--now more obviously combined with lust--made her want to release Shaw from her restraints so the compact Persian could throw Root on the bed and utterly waste her. If Root thought for sure that would be the result she would have done it in a heartbeat. Having this beautiful and intense woman fuck her into oblivion was something she’d give almost anything to experience.

But it would be too risky to release Shaw. So she’d have to get satisfaction a less traditional way.

She stopped touching herself as she felt herself getting closer. As much as she enjoyed this, she desired a bit more interactive orgasm, or as interactive as possible under the circumstances.

So she pulled her fingers out reluctantly and brought them up to Sameen’s lips. The index finger she’d run along herself was glistening with her wetness and with a bemused smile she slowly ran it along Shaw’s lower lip. Shaw’s lips twitched and parted slightly. Root slipped the tip in and felt Shaw’s tongue flick across it. Her breath caught as Shaw sucked her finger in further, rolling her tongue over the digit. Root gasped at the sensation and felt her own nipples harden in response. Next she heard Shaw snarl as her teeth came down hard on her finger. Root yanked it back with a yelp, noting the teeth marks and scrape of blood from where Shaw broke the skin. She saw Shaw’s smug glare and threw her head back and laughed.

Shaw wasn’t sure what to make of this reaction. She was mildly proud of herself for being able to puncture her own sex haze enough to get some small bit of revenge on Root. But damn if Root didn’t look even hotter with her head back and torso bare except for the delicate bra lightly cupping her breasts.

Root leaned back into Shaw, a devilish grin on her face. “I would expect nothing less from you, Sameen Shaw,” as she leaned against Shaw’s torso, her breasts rubbing against Shaw’s. “I like a girl who knows how to keep me on my toes.” She grinned and ran her other index finger along Shaw’s jawline.

So this was the punishment for Shaw biting her, Root was going to snuggle her to death, Shaw thought. Definitely not an improvement over the sex show, at least that Shaw could enjoy for what it was. But then Root pulled away. “I guess I might have to avoid that oh so dangerous mouth of yours, Sameen, at least for now. I do need my fingers intact for the immediate future.” She said as she wiggled the offending members. “But that little move didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for what we were doing,” she added as she reached under the skirt and pulled her underwear down her legs. Shaw’s eyes tracked the movement as Root slowly stepped out of her panties and kicked them aside.

“But I think I need a different kind of friction now,” Root murmured as she began slowly hiking up her skirt, revealing long slender legs. Shaw couldn’t help but watch. Knowing Root was bare under the skirt had kick-started her libido again and she couldn’t help but wonder how high Root was going to pull the skirt and her mouth practically watered at the thought.

But then Root stopped and moved to straddle one of Shaw’s thighs. She then slowly lowered herself. Shaw held her breath as Root’s wet center touched her jeans-clad thigh. Root moaned softly at the welcome contact. She looked directly at Shaw as she began to move forward and back against her. Shaw clenched her jaw as she too desired much more direct contact herself. It didn’t help her needs that feeling Root rub against her was driving her crazy. She didn’t know what she wanted more, her hands free to move all over Root’s silky body then to slip inside her so she could fuck her hard. Or whether she wanted to be free so she could shove Root’s uninjured hand down her own pants and make her touch her until she came.

Root kept moving against her and without totally realizing it Shaw began shifting and tensing her leg along with Root’s movements. When Root felt it she let out a low moan. Root rocked on Shaw’s leg and felt herself get closer to orgasm. Abruptly Shaw stopped.

“Ah!” Root gasped in frustration. Shaw looked at her, pressed against Shaw’s leg, her face flushed and sweat glistened on her skin. It was possibly the hottest thing Shaw had ever seen.

“I’ll continue, but only if you give me something more,” Shaw said, the slight smugness having returned, commingling with lust. Root looked at her uncomprehending for a split-second. Then she smiled. “Well, if you insist.” She knew she could get off on Shaw’s thigh on her own but it felt better with Shaw’s cooperation and she was willing to do more for it.  

Root straightened her back and slowly reached behind her and unclasped her bra. She slid the loosened garment down her arms, revealing milky breasts with small, hardened nipples. Shaw stared. “That good?” Root said in a throaty murmur, her gaze half hidden behind her hair. Shaw shook her head no. Root sighed and leaned back on Shaw’s leg. She braced herself with one arm back on Shaw’s knee. She took her other hand and touched herself where she was pressed up against Shaw’s leg. She groaned slightly and slowly moved her fingers lightly up her abdomen. She then drew them up her chest, stopping to run her fingertips across one of her nipples, gasping briefly at the feeling as the nub tightened further. She then leaned forward and and while lightly running her fingertips along her own nipple she did the same with Shaw’s. Lightly around then flitting directly over the tip and ending with a light tug. She stared at Shaw the whole time, watching the ex-agent’s mouth slacken and her eyes darken further.

Root started moving against Shaw again, who tensed her leg at the top of Root’s thrust against her. Root rocked against Shaw’s leg and her breasts bounced as she thrust harder into Shaw’s leg. Shaw kept staring and flexing her thigh in time with Root’s movements as Root let out clipped moans in time with her thrusts. Root’s breathing became more ragged and her thrusting more erratic.

In rubbing against Shaw’s leg, Root had moved closer to Shaw and as Shaw stared at Root’s flushed face, closing eyelids and open mouth the realization flickered briefly in the ex-operative’s mind that Root was close enough for her to head-butt. But the thought had barely formed when she was again distracted by the jerking of Root against her. Root threw her head back and groaned “Ahhh…ahhh…AHHH!” as her body convulsed against Shaw’s and all Shaw could do was keep her leg tense and watch while Root’s orgasm shot up through her and continued in waves, her body shaking. Root clenched involuntarily several more times before her movements slowed to a few shudders. Root panted through the uncurling tendrils of the end of her orgasm as she collapsed over Shaw’s leg.

Shaw’s breath slowed too, unaware that she had been breathing almost as hard as Root had been. Root looked up slightly, not directly at Shaw’s face, but lower. She smiled slightly. A genuine smile, not a smirk. She then laid one of her palms against Shaw’s chest, between her breasts, and slowly and lightly moved it down over Shaw’s abs, stopping at the top of her jeans. She licked her lips slightly then looked up at Shaw who was staring at her with an intensity that nearly took her breath away.

“BRRRRING!” rang out, startling both women. Root jumped up and grabbed her phone from the table. It took a second for her eyes to focus on the message. The men looking for the real Veronica Sinclair were in the building.

Shaw snapped out of her daze, too, immediately pulling against the zipties, noticing suddenly that she had full control over her muscles again. “Root, untie me!” she growled.

“Sorry, can’t do that right now, sweetie,” Root replied as she quickly put her bra and blouse back on. She shoved her panties into her purse and withdrew a pistol. She threw her jacket over her arm and headed toward the door.

“Untie me NOW!” Shaw bellowed. Root glanced at her phone again and was almost out the door before she ducked back inside. She grabbed a pen from her purse and pulled up Shaw’s sleeve. “What the fuck are you doing?” Shaw said, but Root ignored her as she wrote something on Shaw’s arm.

“WHAT IS THAT?!” Shaw yelled in between an impressive list of expletives while she struggled against her bonds, getting closer to breaking free of the zipties. “It’s my number,” Root said with a smile. “Call me later. I’d love to catch up where we left off,” she said with a squeeze and pat of Shaw’s inner thigh.

“I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!” Shaw yelled as the hacker slipped out the door. Root’s singsong voice carried from the hallway, “You don’t know how much I look forward to that!” she said. Shaw groaned loudly as she returned to fighting the zip-ties. She now regretted not head-butting Root mid-orgasm, mostly for the revenge but also for the completely shocked reaction it would have elicited from Root.

Now Shaw really and truly was going to have to kill that woman.


	2. "Did you miss me?"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Root's attempt to kidnap Shaw does not go as planned...

Root immediately closed her eyes once she came to. Bright sunlight pierced the side window of the car, an old sedan from the looks of it. Root’s hands were restrained behind her head, perhaps tied together behind the headrest of the passenger seat she found herself in. 

She was alone at the moment and in a parking lot. She saw a cluster of potted plants to her right and beyond a fence stood a self-storage building in the distance. The lot was maybe a third full with a few people walking toward the building behind the car. The hacker glanced in the wing mirror and it looked like brick and glass and a green awning. The Whole Foods in Gowanus if she had to guess. 

She tested her hands and couldn’t separate them enough to get her fingers facing inward to see if she could free herself. With some old cars you could pull the headrest out from above. But she didn’t have enough leverage to do that in her position. 

Root tried to remember exactly how she got here. She’d gone to Shaw’s loft to convince her to help the Machine. She’d brought her taser and had picked the lock of Shaw’s apartment. But when she crept inside and her eyes adjusted to the dark, she saw that Shaw was not in bed. 

Then an arm had come down hard on the juncture of her shoulder and neck and she stumbled and dropped the taser. She tried to elbow the person behind her but they were too quick. As Root tried to turn she was thrown to the ground, the force knocking the breath out of her. She wasn’t bad at defending herself but she was no match for someone with military training in hand-to-hand combat, which Shaw had. 

“What the hell are you doing here?!” Shaw yelled at Root as she turned the taller woman over, holding Root’s taser to her neck. 

This wasn’t how this was supposed to go, Root thought. She saw the faded lines where she’d written her phone number on the ex-operative’s arm the first time they’d met. She nodded at the marks as Shaw glared down at her. “You didn’t call me so I decided to say hi in person,” she said and winked. 

“What the…?” Shaw said and glanced at her arm. Her jaw clenched and she scowled back at Root and squeezed the taser. Root felt the spasms momentarily then felt a prick on her arm. Apparently Shaw had also found the sedative she’d planned to use on her. Perhaps her flirting game needed some work, Root mused before she sank into nothingness. 

\- - - -

Looking around the parking lot some more, Root guessed from where the sun was in the sky that it was around 8am. She supposed she could yell for help but she needed to talk with Shaw and she figured the shorter woman must have brought her here so getting away wouldn’t help her with that. Root tried her hands again.

The driver’s side door suddenly swung open and Shaw sat down, holding a large coffee in one hand and a bagel bulging with egg, bacon, and cheese in the other. 

“Did you miss me?” Shaw asked sardonically while taking a large bite of the breakfast sandwich. 

Root tilted her head at Shaw, who was actually grinning at her. Like smiling with her whole mouth, not the tight-lipped smirk the hacker had seen before. Root was slightly dazzled by how it lit up Shaw’s face, despite the grin being at her expense. 

“How long have we been here?” Root asked, shaking off her previous thoughts. 

“Long enough to go inside and get some food,” Shaw responded with a shrug. “You were taking too long waking up so I got hungry.” Shaw just kept looking at her, mirth crinkling her eyes and tugging her lip just a bit. 

“Glad at least someone is enjoying their morning,” Root tossed back. 

Shaw didn’t respond, just took another big bite of the bagel sandwich followed by a gulp of coffee. Root studied Shaw as she ate, the baring of her teeth and her jaw flexing as she bit down, the bob of her throat when she swallowed. Root tilted her head again. “Do you ever close your mouth when you eat?” 

Shaw paused mid-chew then pointedly ate more noisily while turning to the hacker. “Do. You. Ever. Shut. Up?” the ex-agent said slowly, with her mouth open, emphasizing every word. When Root pointedly refused to answer and simply kept staring at her, Shaw turned back to the front and gazed out the windshield. 

Finally she spoke. “Why the hell did you think it was a good idea to break into my apartment and try to kidnap me?” she asked. “What made you think you’d get away with such a stupid idea?”

“My plan to tase you worked fine the last time,” Root reminded with a twitch of her eyebrows. “This isn’t last time,” Shaw menaced in a low growl, “You tell me right now why you were in my place or I’m leaving you here.” 

The hacker blinked and noted the predatory look in Shaw’s eyes, indicating she’d enjoy following through on her warning. 

Shaw’s threat also sent a frisson along her spine. There was always the risk of explosive anger, and something else, beneath Shaw’s impassive appearance. Root could see it in Shaw’s compact but decisive movements, her constant analysis of a situation, ever ready to strike out, attack or counterattack with conviction and force. The ex-agent wore a black tank top and Root could see the muscles ripple along Shaw’s arm when she put her coffee in the cup holder. So smooth yet sharp, too. She couldn’t help but imagine running her tongue up along the edge of her tricep, over the curve of deltoid and down across her pecs.

Shaw saw Root’s gaze drop to her chest and rolled her eyes. “Of course your mind would go to that,” she said in exaggerated exasperation. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised given that the last time we saw each other you humped my leg.” She emphasized the last word and tore off another bite of bagel to punctuate the statement. 

“I didn’t hump your….” Root huffed then stopped. Yeah, that’s actually exactly what she had done. Root let out an annoyed breath. The shrug she gave didn’t have its intended effect since she couldn’t really move her arms. 

Root looked out the side window then back at Shaw. “I had to make sure you’d hear me out. She needs our help and I figured you wouldn’t come willingly,” Root explained. 

“She?” Shaw asked. 

“The Machine has given me a mission and step one is to team up with you,” Root said.

I’ll pass,” Shaw rolled her eyes. “Trust issues. Besides, the Machine gives missions to Harold and the government. Relevant, irrelevant, why would it be talking to you?” she practically spit out the words as she leaned closer to Root. 

“Because now there’s a third category,” Root said to Shaw who was staring at her intently. “Things are evolving and my relationship with the Machine is a little…different…”

“Give me one good reason to believe anything you say,” Shaw interrupted. 

Root exhaled and looked Shaw in the eye. “October 2nd, 1988. You took a roadtrip with your father to watch the Houston Oilers play the Philadelphia Eagles. He bought you a sweatshirt—“

Shaw lunged at Root, grabbing her throat and squeezing. “Don’t talk about my father!” Her eyes dark and bright bore into Root’s. The hacker stared back. She could still breathe—barely--but her pulse quickened under Shaw’s hand. They watched each other for another few seconds, their mouths only a few inches apart. Root wished Shaw would have lunged further and dominated Root’s mouth with her own, shoving her tongue inside and taking anything, everything, she wanted. 

But Shaw didn’t. The taller woman kept her eyes on Shaw’s face while she tilted her head back, giving Shaw more of her neck. The former agent inhaled then staring at her hand tensed around the pale column of Root’s throat, her fingers digging into the supple flesh. Root gasped and Shaw masked a shiver. She noted Root’s half-lidded eyes glinting with lust. She promptly dropped her hand from Root’s neck and spun to face forward again. 

The immediate flaring of sexual tension caught them both a little by surprise. Shaw stayed staring ahead but moved her right hand to Root’s left thigh. She idly ran her fingers along the top of Root’s thigh, scanning over her body from the corner of her eye. The black jeans and dark t-shirt looked good on Root’s thin but tone body. Shaw thought back to when Root was thrusting against her leg, how much she had wanted to run her fingers along Root’s pulsing flesh, run them over the dips and curves of the hacker’s body, across the sensitive tips, make her come undone beneath her. 

Shaw lightly traced her fingers up to Root’s side and slipped them under the hem of her t-shirt. She smoothed her palm over Root’s abdomen and felt rather than heard the taller woman suck in her breath. She knew Root was turned on, had known it when Root had opened her neck further to Shaw’s hand, saw it in her molten brown eyes. But like Shaw, Root was now staring ahead though her head was still tilted back.

Shaw flipped her right hand over so the back of her fingers tripped up Root’s torso. She traced the bottom of Root’s lace bra across her chest before slipping her index finger under the edge. 

Root choked back a groan. Damn it. Last time Shaw couldn’t touch her but this time all Root could think about was the many private spaces she wanted Shaw to explore with her nimble, inquisitive fingers. 

Shaw brought her hand back over Root’s bra but moved the back of her hand further up, getting close to the hacker’s nipples. Root ached for Shaw to touch her there but worried that Shaw was going to snap out of the moment then stop what she was doing. Root continued to face ahead, as if looking at Shaw might make this more real and Shaw would pull away. 

Root could feel herself getting wet and wanted to squirm in the seat. Instead she tried to slouch down a fraction to bring Shaw’s hand closer to the tip of her breast. Shaw moved slowly, moving the backs of her fingers up, grazing the tip of Root’s nipple with the knuckle of her index finger. It was followed closely by the middle finger and ring finger. Root took shallow breaths each time a finger glanced over the sensitive nub sending sparks further down her body. 

Shaw then slowly pulled her hand out from under Root’s shirt and Root thought that that was it. The moment was over. Instead she saw the shorter woman casually flick her tongue over her thumb and her hand dance back under Root’s tee to move upward. It short-circuited Root’s brain for a second, slowly comprehending that Shaw had wetted her finger to do more...

This time Shaw’s hand moved above her bra. With how they sat the only way Shaw could hold her hand at this angle was palm out. She ran the tip of her index and middle finger over Root’s nipple through her bra. She then dipped her fingers inside and plucked the now engorged tip free from the silky cup. She held the nipple between her index finger and middle finger and brought her wet thumb to slide across the crest. Root gasped and bit down on her lip. The sensation was direct and intense. Shaw barely moved but continued to tease Root’s nipple with her thumb until the taller woman shifted in her seat, once, then again. Root bit back a groan and tried to keep herself from arching into Shaw’s touch. 

After a minute Shaw moved her hand down Root’s torso leaving her nipple exposed underneath her shirt. She flipped her hand back over so her palm was against Root’s warm midsection. 

Shaw smiled to herself. Root was being as still and quiet as possible because she didn’t want to spook Shaw. She was mildly surprised with how ok she was with this. She knew what she wanted to do, even though she didn’t understand—or necessarily wanted to understand--why she was doing it. Obviously she was attracted to Root or none of it would have happened in the first place. But she usually saved amorous times for after a mission or for people who didn’t bring likely complications and who she could easily slough from her life. 

This….was likely to get complicated. What she knew of Root, the woman was the definition of complicated and contradictory, so much so she probably reveled in it. But Shaw was intrigued by her directness. Sure, many people made their attraction to Shaw known pretty quickly. That was not new. But usually there were games almost immediately, weird dances that Shaw disliked and didn’t understand. 

Root had done none of that. Yes, she flirted, sometimes badly. But she never tried to hide her desire for Shaw or hide how her body reacted to her. In that regard she was an open book. And when Shaw felt Root lean into her palm around her neck something else happened. Something that blocked her mind from running the usual risk assessment scenarios she’d usually go through in her head. The pros and cons, evaluating likely outcomes. Her head was always in control. She preferred it that way. Feelings, the ones other people got, were not to be trusted. Feelings made people make mistakes, messed up careers, ruined lives.

Shaw was glad that wasn’t a problem for her. She didn’t feel anything specific pertaining to Root, nothing sappy like how other people talked about infatuations. Just a strong urge to touch her, to respond to the lust in her face with desire of her own. A hunger to match up--against? with?--this strange and strong-willed woman. There was something…urgent in Root that Shaw was drawn to, wanted to feel, taste, and maybe something else Shaw couldn’t name. 

That urge Shaw understood. And if Root was going to make herself available to Shaw, well, Shaw wouldn’t say no to the opportunity. 

The ex-agent’s palm had been sliding along Root’s abdomen, feeling the warmth of her skin, hearing and sensing the shallowness of her breath. She moved it lower, to the edge of Root’s jeans. She traced around the border of the button at the top, knowing the hacker’s gaze was likely following her every move. She then dipped her index and middle fingers down over the fly toward her crotch. She knew Root couldn’t feel her fingers through the denim, so lightly they were dancing along the fabric. But Root could see where Shaw’s hand was heading. And when Shaw’s fingers traced lightly over where Root’s clit would be the taller woman choked back a moan and tilter her hips up slightly. 

Shaw’s fingers froze then and Root’s body did the same. Shaw couldn’t stop the smirk playing at her mouth with how easy it was to tease her. She slowly moved her finger back up to the button at the top of Root’s jeans. She languidly caressed the top of it and fiddled with the edge of the buttonhole while Root seemingly held her breath. Then Shaw flicked the button through the hole and she could hear Root exhale. She ran her fingertips along the new skin the opening exposed and felt the top of Root’s underwear. Cotton briefs, practical, and likely soaked. Shaw smiled to herself and held back the urge to snake her fingers the rest of the way and check. No, now that she had Root like this she was going to take her time. 

She slowly pulled the zipper partway down. To Root the sound seemed loud in the quiet car, a clear sign that Something Sexual Was Happening. Root breathed lightly as Shaw flattened her hand to roam further inside Root’s pants. First Shaw slid her palm to Root’s right hip, feeling the curve of her lower belly and the soft warmth of the skin just above her low-cut briefs. Root couldn’t help it. She shifted in her seat slightly, widening her legs to give Shaw’s fingers more room. 

Her eyes wouldn’t focus much beyond the windshield of the car but she could hear the blend of voices and car engines starting and stopping just beyond the sedan. But she had to focus to hear it, will herself to notice anything besides Shaw’s electric fingers roaming her body. Her nipples were still hard from Shaw’s ministrations and she could feel the tingling edging closer to her clit as Shaw’s fingers drifted nearer. At this point she was so aroused a few caresses from Shaw might send her over the edge. She tried to breath normally even though she was feeling nothing close to normal. 

With nothing but her hand touching Root, Shaw noted every last detail of her body as she slipped her palm under the band of Root’s panties. Shaw was far enough down that she felt soft hair and knew she was close. She ran her fingers tips through the short curls, even gave a handful a brief tug. “Ahhh,” Root moaned, tilting her hips up again. 

“Move your legs further apart,” Shaw said in a clipped voice. Root obeyed. It was still going to be a tight fit, Shaw thought, stroking closer and closer to Root’s folds. “Put your right foot on the seat,” Shaw said, her voice controlled and demanding, as Root imagined it would be on a battlefield. 

Root brought her foot up onto the seat, opening herself up more to Shaw’s hand. “Good,” she said. 

Shaw dipped her fingers to lightly caress down the sift skin of Root’s labia as the taller woman bit back a gasp. She slowly moved her fingers back up, dipping her index finger in between the folds, feeling the heavy wetness and opening Root up. “Oh god” Root breathed as Shaw stopped just short of her clit and moved back down her slit, adding a second finger sliding along inside her folds. 

God it felt heavenly, like she was vibrating from inside out, her nerves so on edge that every cell was ready and aching for Shaw’s touch. But Root also wanted more. Shaw’s fingers inside her, on her clit, everywhere. 

Shaw then slipped two fingers to trace around Root’s opening, teasing at it but not yet going in. Root growled in frustration and jerked upward to try to get Shaw’s fingers inside. 

Shaw stole a side glance at Root. Root’s face was flush and she was breathing hard, her eyes almost closed. Her body was clenched and the leg up on her seat was trembling. Shaw lowered her eyes, not wanting to be caught staring. 

Shaw pushed her fingers a fraction of an inch inside Root then withdrew them. Then moved them in again, this time just a little further and back out. “Damn it, Shaw just fuck me.” Root spat out under her breath, nearly delirious from seeing Shaw’s fingers barely slide in and out of her. She needed to be filled up, now. 

A husky chuckle slipped from Shaw then her fingers slammed inside Root who arched into the thrust with a strangled gasp. Shaw pulled her fingers out and slammed in again. Again Root arched into her. Shaw did it again and again, picking up speed. Soon she was thrusting in and out of Root as fast as she could, her own breathing as ragged as Root’s. 

Root was thrashing against her bindings as Shaw worked her over. She stared down at Shaw’s forearm flexing as she plunged into her. It felt deep and good and she might have been able to come from that alone but without realizing that she’d said anything, Root gasped, “clit, please, oh god, oh god.” 

Shaw pulled her fingers out and ran them up inside Root’s folds until she reached her clit. She lightly ran the tip of her finger around it and then over it, just barely touching it. Root moaned and thrashed some more. “Jesus!” she breathed. Shaw flicked her finger over the bundle of nerves again. It felt like electricity was shooting through her and Root gasped. Shaw did it again, and again. Shaw began flicking over the very top where Root was most sensitive. 

Root knew she was going to hurtle over the edge soon, couldn’t stop herself even if she had wanted to. Then Shaw’s other hand suddenly landed over her mouth, pushing her head back against the headrest. Root couldn’t stop the loud moans spilling out of her as she felt her orgasm start curling around in her toes, building as it rolled upward. She’d somehow felt Shaw watching her so she looked back at her. Her vision was fuzzy and her eyes were about to roll back but knowing Shaw was watching her come hurtled her orgasm to her clit where it exploded and she screamed into Shaw’s hand. Her whole body clenched and she rode out the waves against Shaw’s skilled fingers while jerking against her bindings. The sparks began to flare out and finally stopped, her body slumping down into the seat. She wasn’t sure if she could move. 

Shaw stroked her gently a few more times, not near her now oversensitive clit though, and slowly moved her hand out from Root’s pants. The hacker still didn’t think she could move but she definitely wasn’t going to look at Shaw right now. She wasn’t embarrassed, that wasn’t really it. While Root didn’t have a lot of experience with public sex, she had enjoyed it. It just had to be the right context. With Shaw it certainly was. She just didn’t know what she would see, or not see, when she looked at Shaw again. 

Thus, Root missed when Shaw zipped up her pants and brought her fingers up to her own mouth to suck then clean. Shaw wasn’t sure what to make of Root’s reaction now. She didn’t want Root to look at her with doe-eyes and act like this they were now girlfriends, like some women did after sex. But she wasn’t used to the other person staring away from her either. 

She hadn’t expected to be so…captivated by watching Root lose herself under Shaw’s touch. Root’s skin felt incredible and Shaw’s mouth had almost fell open when she’d teased Root’s entrance and made the woman squirm with need. She wanted nothing more than to jump Root and fuck her properly, drive in and out of her furiously while sucking on her nipples and touching her clit, timing the multiple stimulations to flow and build and break all at once, hurtling them both into oblivion. 

But instead she fucked Root as hard as she could then teased her clit, which made Root come almost immediately. While Shaw was no stranger to sex in unusual places, she preferred that Root coming didn’t draw the attention of the entire parking lot. But when she’d twisted to cover Root’s mouth with her other hand she’d been riveted by Root’s face as her orgasm roiled through her. Watching her clench and gasp in such raw ecstasy made Shaw squeeze her own thighs together and almost come herself. Not that she’d ever let Root know that. 

Shaw took a few calming breaths then took out her knife and cut the zipties from Root’s wrists. Root groaned as her arms fell forward. Shaw reached up as if to pat Root’s shoulder but didn’t really know what to do with her hand so she let it drop. 

Root saved her from having to figure out what to do next by returning to the topic that has led to this chain of events. 

“I know you don’t trust me,” Root said, finally looking toward Shaw, though not making direct eye contact. “After all, I tased you once and tried to tase you a second time,” Root’s flipped her hair, one of her flippant, cover smiles emerging. 

“However, the Machine trusts me, even if you don’t.” Root’s voice regained its urgency from earlier. “You spent years working for the Machine and she was never wrong. If you don’t help me someone might destroy her and innocent people will die. Forget how you feel about me, how would you feel about that.”

Shaw looked at Root, her own demeanor back to detached, placid. But her brows knitted together slightly as she thought. 

“OK,” she said. “I’ll forget how I feel about you,” Her words sounding hollow to herself. So with more force she growled, “But when this is over you better hope I don’t remember.” Shaw turned the car key in the ignition and drove them off.


	3. Forbidden Fruit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The night in the CIA safe house goes a little differently than planned...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was trying to get this up for #shootweek but missed. I could blame my new puppy but it's more than I suck at deadlines.

Shaw sat at the table, alternately staring at the phone then the bowl of apples across from her. She’d never seen fresh food of any type at a CIA pick up spot, much less a bowl of fruit. If a place had food at all it was canned or remnants of take-out. Weirdest thing ever, she thought. Well, besides the woman she’d be sharing the place with until the next morning.

After disarming the agent, she and Root sedated him and tied him up in the other room. Shaw was no longer surprised that Root carried sedatives on her as a matter of course, any more than the tasers surprised her. While Shaw was making sure he was secure, Root looked around for something to eat, finding the fridge empty and just a can of beans in the cabinet.

Root could have lived off the apples but she knew Shaw couldn’t and since they were going to spend the next ten or so hours together she didn’t want it to be with a perpetually hangry Shaw. So she went down the street to get some food and beer. Drinking on the job was frowned upon but if she couldn’t entice Sameen into more fun activities Root was otherwise going to be stuck with staring at beige walls and counting the number of times Shaw’s face slipped into anything other than her familiar scowl. And bringing the former operative sustenance was the best way to get on her good side, usually indicated by a less pronounced scowl.

At that moment Shaw was glaring at the bowl of apples, having checked her gun and looked around the room again. As she sat there she couldn’t keep her thoughts from turning to Root. Besides her affection for tasers and bad one-liners she was unpredictable and, Shaw admitted, interesting. Teaming up with Root and the Machine had led her across the city through varied situations that usually resulted in mayhem or violence. It certainly beat long stakeouts where nothing happened except drinking too much bad coffee. That Root’s company was part of the reason Shaw considered the day a good one was not something she would dwell on.

Once Root got back from her errands things were likely to get awkward. Shaw didn’t do small talk and she’d already thought enough about her last encounter with the hacker in the Whole Foods parking lot. Normally Shaw would forget a quick fuck in a car as quickly as a bad sandwich but bits of that tryst kept popping in her head at inconvenient moments. How her hand fit around Root’s throat, how Root trembled slightly when Shaw first put her hand down her pants, and how she’d bucked into Shaw’s hand when she was about to come. Shaw had focused on getting as deep inside her as she could, to feel her as fully as possible and send her further and further into pleasure-riddled incoherence.

The ex-ISA agent shook her head abruptly. She’d have to spend hours with Root and the last thing she needed to do was lust after her while wiling away time in this dimly lit hellhole. She didn’t need this headache. They were working together now--sort of--and the last thing she wanted was Root to get attached to her or for Root to find out how much she affected Sameen. That was a weakness she needed to keep hidden.

The door opened suddenly but quietly. Root breezed through and put two plastic bags on the table. “What did you get me?” Shaw demanded as she peered into the first bag.

Amused, Root watched her rummage through the takeout containers, opening them to look inside and then put them on the table to check the others. It was almost like watching a kid opening presents on Christmas morning with a brief spark of curiosity then satisfaction lighting up Shaw’s eyes. Shaw grunted her approval of the BBQ spareribs, Szechuan beef, sesame chicken, and….

”The tofu noodle special is mine” Root declared as Shaw pushed that container away from her with a huff. “Of course it is, I wouldn’t touch that with a ten-foot pole.”

“What’s that about a ten-foot pole, Sameen?” Root asked as she opened the other bag to show Shaw the six-pack of porter she’d picked up.

“That’s not bad for a liquor store around here,” the shorter woman said appreciatively, ignoring the hacker’s previous remark. Shaw popped open a bottle while Root grabbed two plates and glasses from the kitchenette.

“Why do we need that?” Shaw said, her brow knit in confusion as she started to dig into the beef with chopsticks. Root tilted her head at her. “We can still eat on plates even if we could manage otherwise.” Shaw rolled her eyes again but grabbed a plate from Root’s hand and dumped the whole container on it. “Brown rice?” Shaw grumbled and shook her head but focused on devouring her meal. Root was glad that getting the spare ribs was paying off. Watching Shaw eat with her hands was a delight and seeing her suck the sauce off her fingers sparked Root’s desire more than even she expected.

“Why don’t you eat? It’s going to get cold,” Shaw asked, gesturing toward the tofu noodles. Root shook herself from her reverie and began eating, feigning interest in her dinner while discreetly watching Shaw.

Root wondered if this was what having a crush as a teenager felt like, doing random things with someone and enjoying it just because you were fascinated with the other person. She’d never felt that in high school and she could see now why it would have made the time go faster.

Shaw finished up first and took a quick inventory of what was left as she packed the cartons up to put in the fridge. “I’ll do the dishes, why don’t you check on Agent Dumbass in there,” she said, gesturing to the other room. Root got up and looked in on him. He was still out and appeared to be breathing normally.

From the doorway of the room the hacker looked back at Shaw whose back was to her as she made quick work of the dishes. Root watched as Shaw executed the task with her customary efficiency. Root could easily picture Shaw doing all sorts of badass stunts in the name of a mission but she found herself captivated by the scene of this fearless woman doing something so mundane and domestic as washing dishes.

Root watched Shaw under the weak glow of the yellow light and wondered what it would be like to run her hands down Shaw’s arms like she wanted to, grab her by the hips and pull her back into her. Their last two escapades were hot, some of the best sex Root has had. But neither experience allowed her to fully explore Shaw’s skin, inhale her scent, or to touch her at her leisure. She ached to do that and found the idea of being so close to Shaw for so long to be something she almost couldn’t tolerate without seeing if she could have more. Root knew it was greedy, that she’d be taking a huge risk, and Shaw might clock her for her trouble. But she also knew if she didn’t try she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything else.

She walked up slowly behind the former operative….

“I know you’re behind me, you suck at sneaking up on people.” Shaw said as she wiped down the counter near the sink.

“But did you know I had this?” Root whispered in her ear as she pressed a short blade flat against Shaw’s neck, her other hand grabbing Shaw’s opposite hip.

Shaw stilled her movements while something unsettling curled inside of her. She was faster than Root and could spin and disarm her in no time. And she inwardly smirked at how easily this beanpole nerd would go down with a loud “Oof.”

But Shaw knew Root expected her to do exactly that. And if Root expected her to end this game then Shaw would force her to show her hand. In the few seconds it took to consider her options Shaw had started to realize the sensation in her abdomen was a flutter of adrenaline and anticipation, spurred by flashbacks to the iron in the hotel room. It’s not like she couldn’t extricate herself from this further in, if she so chose to, Shaw rationalized to herself.

So she leaned slightly into the knife at an angle where she knew Root could see the metal glint against the suppleness of her neck.

Root took a shallow breath and her lips curled upward at the sight. She had expected Shaw to subdue her or express irritation at her advances but now that Shaw had called her bluff, Root felt herself shift in a more predatory way. She was so going to get Shaw back for working her over as she had in the car.

Root swept Shaw’s ponytail aside and dipped her head to brush her lips across the back of Shaw’s neck in an almost chaste kiss. Then she slid her lips up toward Shaw’s ear where she tugged lightly on the lobe with her teeth while still keeping the knife against her throat. The slightly salty taste of Shaw’s skin and smell of her made Root want to grope her frantically and get her hands on every inch of her body. But she calmed herself and just let her opposite hand start to train lightly up Shaw’s bare arm.

The ex-agent managed to not react noticeably to Root nibbling on her ear, though her first instinct was to tilt her head to give Root more access. “Mmm…” Root murmured appreciatively in the former operative’s ear. Shaw could feel her nipples tighten when she felt Root’s breath tease her ear. Why the fuck did her ears have to be so sensitive, she thought. And how the hell did Root figure that out so quickly?

She schooled her features as she saw the faint reflection of them in the window above the sink. That didn’t help as she could not just feel but watch Root’s mouth travel across her skin. Before she realized it, the hacker had met her eyes in the glass.

The taller woman reached up over her head to tug the chain for the sink light, bringing darkness and shadow but also making their reflections more pronounced. Then slowly Root smiled at Shaw in the window. Not a smirk of victory or condescension but a smile of promise, tinged with gratitude for Shaw’s acquiescence. Shaw looked away as Root’s fingers traipsed across her shoulder and upper back.

“Stay facing forward,” Root said, “Keep your arms outstretched and hands resting on the edge of the counter unless I tell you to move them.” The shorter woman nodded slightly.

The hacker kept standing behind Shaw and moved her head slightly to glance down at Shaw’s cleavage while she brought the hand that had been crossing Shaw’s opposite shoulder up her neck to trace her other ear. Shaw’s lips parted slightly and she felt her breath hitch. Certainly what was going on felt good—really good—but Shaw was torn. This was going to happen too slowly. She usually moved things along quickly at this point. The only thing keeping this situation from feeling too personal, too intimate, was that they weren’t facing each other.

That Shaw couldn’t see exactly what Root was doing added to her heightened senses. By now Root had put her knife away, the ground rules having been established, and brought her hands down Shaw’s sides and rested them lightly on her hips while she ducked in and bit Shaw’s neck. Shaw grunted quietly in surprise and watched Root’s mouth on her flesh in the window. She felt Root push herself against Sameen’s ass and damn if she didn’t want to push back into her. Shaw could feel herself get wetter and more impatient. “When are we going to move on to the good stuff, Dracula?” Shaw groused, trying to keep her voice sounding bored.

Root yanked Shaw’s hips back against her, grinded into her, and chuckled. “Oh this feels plenty good from where I’m standing,” she whispered into Shaw’s ear, almost merrily. Damn, Shaw thought, that was a tactical error giving Root reason to do the breathless ear thing again.

“We have plenty of time, though, so I suppose we could do something else,” Root said as her fingers played along the hem of Shaw’s t-shirt. “Arms up” she said firmly and Shaw obliged. The hacker pulled the shirt up and off and admired Shaw’s almost bare torso. “Hands back,” Root commanded tapping the edge of the sink.

Root stood to the side, staring openly and voraciously at Shaw’s chest, the ripple of her pecs, her black bra clad breasts, down her stomach, muscles taut under the soft skin. Root openly ogled her while Shaw tried to ignore the heat of her gaze. But as Root looked from the top of the curve of her breast to where her nipple was within the bra and down Shaw could imagine what it would be like for Root’s hands to follow her eyes and she grew more frustrated.

“Turn the water on, cold.” Root instructed. Shaw did and let herself be distracted by the stream coming out the faucet. She’d wished Root would stop teasing her but she also knew that she was the one who silently challenged Root to this…weird sexual game of chicken where she stood half-naked in front of the sink of a run-down apartment, lit only by the sallow light of the desk lamp behind them and slivers of moon slicing through the kitchen window.

Shaw noticed that Root had stopped touching her but was still right behind her. She then felt the hacker lean into her and reach around her to the water. The taller woman had taken off her clothes, or at least her shirt and bra. Shaw felt Root’s breasts press up against her back, the small, hard nipples tight against her skin. Shaw vividly remembered the curve of them from the time in the hotel room and she itched to grab them roughly and sink her teeth into them.

But all she could do is stand there, doing anything else would be giving in and showing too much. So Shaw stayed still, her clit beginning to vibrate with need and her arousal soaking her underwear.

Root dipped her hands under the cold water and ran her fingertips down Shaw’s torso while Shaw tried not to gasp. Root watched the drops run down Shaw’s exposed skin. She sought out the water again, which required her to lean into Shaw’s back. Root pressed her breasts against her and ground briefly against Shaw’s ass. This time Root started at Shaw’s shoulders and ran her fingers down her chest, over the bra, lightly teasing a nipple into unmistakable hardness.

The former ISA agent shivered slightly, though less from the cold than other sensations. Moving her hands to Shaw’s back, Rot slowly unclasped the shorter woman’s bra letting it slip forward loosely. But Root hadn’t told Shaw to move her arms yet so Shaw waited. Root hummed in approval and leered over Shaw’s shoulder while her hands moved up to cup Shaw’s breasts. She lazily ran a cold fingertip over the crest of Shaw’s other nipple and felt her shudder.

She continued to watch herself tease Shaw’s nipples as the other woman tried not to appear affected when her body was quickly giving her away. Shaw gritted her teeth while sparks of pleasure fired from her now engorged nipples to everywhere else. Root calmly staring at her body while touching her was more of a turn on that Shaw had anticipated.

“Arms in, legs spread,” Root said and as Shaw moved her arms closer to each other the bra slid slowly down her limbs. “Take it off,” the hacker continued and Shaw complied, tossing the garment to the side. She shifted her legs apart some. Root tsked in disapproval and stepped inside Shaw’s left leg and kicked her leg further out. “I’m not playing around Sameen,” Root warned.

“Oh really? Because it seemed like you were,” Shaw bit off, extremely aroused and aggravated at the same time. She hoped her insubordination would spur Root to fuck her hard against the nearby wall. She needed to get off soon.

Root’s hand snaked around Shaw’s torso and twisted her nipple hard. Shaw gasped and glared at Root in the window’s reflection. Root straightened herself to her full height and stared back. “If you don’t behave,” Root stated, as she twisted the nipple harder, feeling Shaw stiffen against her, “I’ll ziptie you to that chair, get myself off…” She paused then as she ran her hand down to the button of Shaw’s tight jeans, unclasping it and roughly pulling the zipper down, then pushed her fingers under the denim just an inch or so from Shaw’s throbbing center, “and leave you with nothing,” Root bit off as she removed her hand abruptly.

Shaw couldn’t help the feverish arousal wash over her, wanting nothing more than to grab Root, push her down, and ride her for the few thrusts it would take her to climax. But she stood with her jaw set, her eyes gleaming in near fury, her chest heaving and her pants wide open. She glared at Root in the window whose own eyes were blazing with lust as she grinned at the shorter woman. Root looked powerful, sexy, and downright predatory in a way that made Shaw’s mouth go dry.

And that’s when Root turned her attention back to herself.

The hacker moved one of her hands back behind Shaw, between her and Shaw’s body. Shaw could feel her hand moving against the top of her ass and realized Root was undoing her own jeans and pushing them to the floor. Next she stepped out of them. She grabbed Shaw’s ponytail and gave it a tug, getting another glare from Sameen in the reflection.

“Pay attention,” Root reminded her, one hand still wandering between them. Shaw blinked, more than a little distracted by the movement against her backside. She heard Root gasp and understood that the hacker had slipped her hand down her own panties. So this was like the first time, Shaw thought, but this time she wasn’t going to get to watch.

“Look ahead, Sameen,” Root ordered her eyelids fluttering down for a second as she touched herself lightly. Shaw looked at Root in the reflection. Root’s eyes were closing slightly and she could see Root’s arm moving against herself and feel that arm jerk against her own ass. Root slid her free hand around Shaw’s waist and played with the opening of Shaw’s jeans, much the way Shaw had done when she had Root tied up in the sedan.

With her long arms and slender fingers Root could wiggle them down the front of Shaw’s pants relatively easily. Shaw stared forward, eyes starting to lose focus as all she could think about was Root’s supple fingers inches from her clit. She wanted to move up into them but that was forbidden. Her breathing got more shallow as she felt Root thrust against her own hand against Shaw’s ass while her fingers made progress toward their target. Shaw looked down, out of the corner of her eye she could tell Root was struggling to keep her eyes open and struggling to keep herself from coming yet.

Then Root’s index finger brushed ever so lightly over the top of Shaw’s clit. The exquisite jolt made Shaw jerk and moan involuntarily, her hands grabbing the counter edge tighter, her head dipping down as she tried to breathe. She wanted desperately to move, to hump Root’s hand at this point, turn around and jam Root’s fingers inside her, hard and merciless. She practically quivered with the need to do something but instead she gritted her teeth and her nostrils flared as she trying to get her breathing under control.

Root was fully aware of what she was doing to Sameen and she knew staying still was killing her. She could have easily gotten herself off as she was, pressed against Sameen’s backside with her hand delicately exploring Shaw’s slick flesh. But she had other plans and didn’t want to waste them by getting off too early.

Root smirked to herself and pulled her hand out of her pants while continuing to tease Shaw with her other hand. She glided the one soaked in her wetness around Shaw’s neck, forcing her to lift her chin and lean her head back to accommodate Root’s hand. Shaw could smell Root on her fingers as she ran them lightly up her jaw and to Shaw’s lips. When she grazed her fingers over Shaw’s clit again she slipped her two wet fingers into Shaw’s slackened mouth.

Shaw let out a garbled noise and sucked immediately on the digits, not resisting Root’s exploring and demanding fingers.

“Ahhh,” Root breathed. “That feels so good, Sameen. I can almost imagine how it would feel having you suck on my clit.” Root said as she flicked across Shaw’s electrified nub, earning another shuddering groan from the former operative.

Root let that hand meander further south feeling Shaw shift her weight to give her better access. She traced the edge of Shaw’s opening then breathed low in her ear, “So….how do you feel now?” Shaw’s breathing was ragged and she was desperate for more than Root’s feathery light touch.

“OK…Could. Be. Better,” she grunted around Root’s long fingers still exploring her mouth. Root chuckled and with her opposite hand teasingly dipped the tip of her finger into Shaw’s opening. “And what would make it better, Sameen?” While she waited for the answer she pulled her finger back and circled a few more times, moving forward in an abbreviated thrusting movement yet not quite close enough to actually penetrate Shaw.

Shaw knew it would come to this from when it started. She’d have to say what she wanted. Normally, she’d just grab the other person’s dick, fingers, whatever and shove it inside her and start a fast rhythm. But Root’s self control was strong. Sameen could tell by the fire in Root’s eyes that she could have easily gotten herself off a while ago but she wasn’t going to allow herself to come until she’d gotten Shaw off. And to get Shaw off the way Root wanted she’d have to withstand the former agent’s attempts to make her hurry up.

Shaw could practically feel herself ache with the desire to have Root’s fingers fill her up. She looked up toward the top of the window reflection, not willing to look at Root while she said it.

“ I want….,” Shaw exhaled. And stopped.  
“What sweetie?” Root breathed into her ear as she flicked over Shaw’s clit again.

Shaw groaned again. Now she felt like she was throbbing with need, the need for Root to fuck her, make her come, hard and fast against this sink in this dull apartment with an unconscious CIA agent in the room next to them.

“I want…” Shaw continued. She felt Root’s eyes on her face in the reflection. She looked down, right into them, catching them and daring Root to look away. “I need… you inside me right now.” The hacker smiled against Shaw’s ear then quickly brought Shaw’s legs together and yanked her pants and underwear off. Suddenly Shaw was naked before her and Root yanked her hips back roughly so she was more bent over the sink.

She kicked Shaw’s legs out wide, this time keeping her feet inside of them so Shaw couldn’t close them. She reached around again and started to stroke Shaw’s clit while she entered her from behind with two fingers. She was warm and oh so wet and just watching her fingers disappear into Shaw’s folds made Root almost come.

Shaw was bent over her hair cascading down around her face as she groaned and pushed back hard against Root’s fingers. The ex-assassin thrust hard but not quickly, and each time she rammed Shaw she heard the other woman grunt. With two fingers of her other hand she spread Shaw’s labia wide to give the third finger unimpeded access to her clit, which she grazed over more regularly, then faster. Her thrusting picked up speed as well and Shaw had gone from short grunts to low constant moans.

Shaw felt exposed, standing naked, her feet forced wide while getting pounded from behind and the compromising position turned her on even more. The shorter woman braced herself against the counter, her muscles flexing as if she were holding on for dear life. Root started hitting Shaw’s clit more directly and sparks flew as Root’s fingers were doing amazing things to her clit while she fucked her from the back. Then the motions were synced and Root’s fingers hit Shaw’s clit right as she was hitting her g spot inside. Shaw pushed herself back further into Root’s thrusts as she threw her head back feeling like she was going to explode.

“Come for me, Sameen” Root gasped in her ear as she pounded her relentlessly. Shaw only had a few seconds awareness of her orgasm crashing toward her when it burst and rolled through her. She groaned deeply as her body lurched and spasmed. If she hadn’t been half leaning over the sink and Root semi-propping her up she would have collapsed on the ground. She gasped as the waves kept hitting her. Once her shuddering slowed Root withdrew her hands while still holding Shaw’s hips. Shaw felt Root shift behind her but she was too dazed to know what she was doing, just that the taller woman had not lost contact with her body.

Then she felt Root pressed up closer and could tell she too had now taken off her pants and underwear and was completely naked behind Sameen. She was so wrecked she really didn’t care what Root did next.

“Bring your right hand behind your back” Root said, Shaw grunted her response and dutifully brought her hand toward Root, the back of her hand resting against herself and her palm toward the hacker. Root moved Shaw’s hand to where she wanted it and leaned in. Shaw couldn’t see where exactly where she was touching Root but she could feel her slick and engorged labia. And as she flicked her fingers against Root she heard her moan. “Oh god yes, right there,” Root murmured, as Shaw continued her sightless exploration of Root’s body. She slid her finger up along the inner lips until she touched Root’s clit. She could see Root’s reaction in the window, her face flushed, biting her bottom lip, unknowingly rubbing her nipples into Shaw’s back.

Shaw watched Root’s face in the reflection as she returned to her clit. Each time her expression seemed to break open a little more, her face going more slack, her body trembling. Shaw felt Root move more urgently against her, thrusting into her hand as she nimbly teased Root’s clit. Root put one arm around Shaw’s torso to help hold herself up as she felt everything start to break apart. Shaw felt the pulsing in Root’s clit while she watched the orgasm wash over her face in the window. Root’s dazed eyes opened slightly and watched Shaw stare at her while she came.

Finally Root slumped against Shaw’s frame, breathing heavily. After a minute she sighed and moved against Shaw to turn the shorter woman around. Root brought one of Shaw’s hands up to kiss it on the knuckles and did the same with the other one. Shaw just looked at what was happening not sure that she was processing anything at all in the moment. Root smiled at her but said nothing and Shaw wondered if she was imagining the tinge of sadness at the corners of Root’s eyes. Root then turned and sauntered off to the bathroom. Shaw stared dumbly after her for a few seconds. She then pulled her tank top and jeans back on, grabbed another beer and chugged it, hoping she’d have time to down another one before it was her turn in the shower.


	4. First kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reese indirectly wingmans for our favorite deadly dorks plus library cage sex.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some of the details of the library cage would have to have been different for this to work so suspend disbelief. The next chapters will expand their sexual repertoire but this one is in line with previous chapters.

“You never get enough ketchup,” Shaw complained as she dug inside the brown paper bag among the double order of supersized fries. Reese looked back at her as they climbed the stairs to the top floor of the library. Shaw wasn’t looking and nearly ran into him. “What the hell, Reese!” she grouched as she moved to go around him. John shifted to the side to block her momentarily. She glared at him and he let her go. “You know, with most people I’d call this hangry but this really is your natural state, Shaw,” Reese said as he followed the shorter agent around the corner. 

There he almost ran up Shaw’s back. In front of them Finch and Root had broken off their conversation. The bespectacled ringleader looked askance at the hacker who was leaning against the cage door. Root’s face lit up when she saw Shaw. Her eyes danced over the former ISA operative, noting the tight black jeans and tank top, and the smooth rippling muscles that both accentuated. “Well, well…if it isn’t our favorite Lone Ranger,” she drawled, then shifted her gaze to Reese. “And Silver.” Reese didn’t even bother to roll his eyes at Root’s efforts to antagonize him anymore. 

Shaw looked between Finch and Root. “What’s going on?” she said while pushing fries into her mouth. 

“Miss Groves and I are having philosophical differences,” Harold said, warily eyeing the former assassin, who had yet to move from leaning on the metal door, arms crossed in front of her. Root tilted her head toward Finch. “Harry, you know it’s bigger than that. Lives are at stake, Her life is at stake. Ours might be too but you don’t trust Her. And for that we may all have to pay.” Root kept her eyes locked on Finch who fussed with his sleeve.

Shaw grabbed more fries. Weird conflict that she didn’t totally understand made her hungry. Well, most things made her hungry. As annoying as Root was, and she was supremely annoying, Shaw was starting to agree that Finch’s prevarications might cost them dearly. So Shaw figured she’d join in the pointedly-staring-at-Finch party while she licked salt off her fingertips. 

Harold looked at John over Shaw’s shoulder, his eyes pleading. “Mr. Reese, do you have an update on the latest mission?” 

“I do,” Reese said with a hint of a smile, thinking he probably shouldn’t enjoy seeing Finch squirm but he did. “There’s a lot of details to go over and it would probably be best if we had a proper debrief.” Finch sighed with relief; a private conversation with Reese would get him out of the crosshairs. 

Reese saw Root quickly abandon staring at Finch to instead stare at Shaw licking her fingers and then just stare at Shaw. John knew Root would appreciate one-on-one time with the primary asset no matter how brief. He didn’t know if it was good for the team that Root was obsessed with Shaw and that Shaw, for reasons he doubted even she understood, had quickly come to…tolerate…the companionship of their unpredictable prisoner. And he’d never admit his current charade was intended less to give Finch a reprieve than to give the two women some time together. Maybe he just wanted to see Shaw happy, or whatever happy was for her. And in some quirky and terrifying way he thought Shaw and Root were cute together. Maybe it was the height difference. And how annoyed Shaw was when she had to look so far up to glare at Root. 

Finch also noticed Root’s blatant ogling of Shaw while the shorter women was peering in the paper bag for more food. He knew something was up with the two but he wasn’t sure what. Harold might be a prude, ok he was a prude, but he wasn’t stupid. 

“What is your intentions regarding Miss Shaw?” Finch blurted before he even realized the words were out of his mouth. Root turned and smiled at him, baring her canines. She knew that look freaked him out, and it was freaking him out now. 

“Perfectly aboveboard, Harry” Root said with a condescending lilt to her voice. “You seem to imagine we’re having some torrid affair yet we’ve never even kissed,” she said with an eye roll and a shrug. While Harold looks dubiously at Root, Reese glanced at Shaw. He saw her look into the middle distance with her brow knitted slightly, like she was going through a mental accounting of her interactions with Root to verify whether what Root had said was true. He stifled a smirk. 

Besides, what was Finch really worried about right now? Root was caged and Shaw was almost always out working numbers so there wasn’t much they could do. When no one else commented Harold gave Root one last accusing look and then limped toward the back of the library. He clearly expected Reese to follow so they could continue their conversation. John looked at both of the women, ignoring Root mouthing a neigh and miming pawing at the ground with a hoof. Shaw nodded curtly at him and he responded with the same, then followed Finch.

Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Root’s fingers reach toward the fries Shaw was holding but heard rather than saw her yelp as Shaw had presumably smacked her hand away. 

Root pouted at Shaw. “I had hoped you would share,” Root said, curling her fingers around the iron bars. “Why would I share my food with you?” Shaw grunted, and pushed the last bunch of fries into her mouth while tossing the paper bag on the table behind her. 

“You’re not the only one who is hungry,” Root replied, running a long index finger down one of the bars. Shaw swallowed then remembered to scowl at Root. The taller woman took this as an invitation and ran her index finger down the front of Shaw’s t-shirt. Shaw scowled harder. Root bit her bottom lip and looked at Shaw from under her lashes. 

“That’s such a cliché move, Root.” Shaw said. “True,” the hacker admitted. “But that doesn’t mean it’s not working,” she said as her fingertip reached where Shaw’s shirt met the top button of her jeans and lingered. 

Shaw was irritated. Now it seemed every time she was around Root she was getting turned on, and especially if the hacker touched her, even if it was just an accidental brushing of her hand against her side. Though Shaw doubted anything Root did when it came to her was ever an accident. And given their recent encounters almost anything Root did reminded her in some way, shape, or form of the sex they’d had recently. And that annoyed her to no end, though not enough to stop her from pursuing it pretty much any time she had a chance. That she couldn’t seem to stop irritated her even more. 

Shaw huffed out a breath and stepped back out of Root’s reach. The taller women looked at her quizzically and the ex-agent stared back. 

“You first,” Shaw said. 

“Me first?” Root said “Me first as in touch myself?” “Yes,” Shaw said flatly. 

“Now who’s being cliché now?” Root smiled, though she did bring her hand to the top of her jeans. Shaw arched her eyebrow, Root’s previous rejoinder not needing to be repeated. Root popped the button on her jeans and slid her hand inside. She tilted her head back showing her neck while her fingers creeped closer to her clit. Just being near Shaw shouldn’t get her this worked up but it did. And generally exhibitionism wasn’t her thing but under Shaw’s intense stare it apparently very much became her thing. 

So she slid her middle finger alongside her clit and shuddered with a soft “oh” at the contact. It was electric and insufficient at the same time. At her tremor Shaw had stepped closer to the bars separating the two. Root reached for her with her other hand but Shaw shook her head and stepped back again. 

Root groaned but moved more obviously against herself under her jeans. Shaw nodded her head at Root, motioning down. Oh. She wanted her to unzip her jeans further. Root dragged the zipper down most of the way, revealing her black panties and her hand’s movements within them and the wetness spreading below. Shaw was staring at her hand sliding against herself so Root slowed down. She slowly moved her finger upward, brushing it over her clit with a panted intake of breath. She watched Shaw watch her and felt herself get wetter. “Go lower,” Shaw added. 

As Root slid her finger between her folds Shaw’s lips parted and the shorter woman leaned closer. Now their lips were almost touching. Shaw put her hand over the one Root was using to touch herself and leaned to her ear. With her other hand Shaw ran her finger along Root’s bottom lip, lightly pulling her mouth further open. Then she whispered, “The deeper I go in your mouth the deeper you fuck yourself,” and with that Shaw slid her index finger in Root’s mouth and alongside her tongue. Root responded by running her tongue along Shaw’s finger. While she did that she pressed her own finger to her entrance where Shaw’s hand over hers would know where it was going. 

Shaw sucked in a breath and brought her lips gently to Root’s, barely touching them and sliding them softly against each other. Root moaned as she lightly danced her finger inside her folds and delicately over her clit. Then the shorter woman pulled away slightly. The hacker sighed in frustration and stopped touching herself until Shaw pressed her mouth over hers again. 

This time Shaw pressed her body as close to Root’s as she could and teased her mouth open with her tongue. With that Root slid a finger slowly inside herself and twitched against Shaw. When Shaw ran her tongue slowly around the inside of her mouth Root did the same with her finger inside her, wanting more. Then Shaw started thrusting her tongue slowly in and out of Root’s mouth and Root began to properly fuck herself. The hacker desperately sucked at Shaw’s tongue, wanting to feel more fullness inside her. Inside her mouth, inside her cunt, anywhere, everywhere. 

But the former agent was being slow and deliberate. In a matter of minutes Root was going to be a puddle of want on the floor. She needed to get Shaw to speed up or she might end up begging her. With her free hand she grabbed and pinched her own nipple into a tight peak then put Shaw’s free hand over it. Shaw felt the nub against her palm and grazed her hand over it until her fingertips traced circles around it. She could tell Root was getting close and was enjoying how absolutely desperate she could make the taller woman. 

Shaw could still feel Root pushing in and out of herself with her hand over the hacker’s and knowing that she was making her fuck herself made her struggle to keep Root right on the edge without sending her over. 

Root realized that feeling Shaw’s fingers teasing her nipple through her shirt was just making her more needy. So she began pushing down her pants and sliding her panties down her hips. She knew Shaw seeing her bare skin, seeing her fuck herself, might break Shaw’s ridiculous level of self-control. 

Shaw broke off the kiss to look down at what Root was doing. When she saw Root’s glistening finger sliding along her sex she inhaled sharply. She kept watching what Root was doing to herself while she brought her hand up to Root’s mouth. Then she slid a finger deep into Root’s mouth and watched as Root grunted and slid her middle finger deep inside herself. “Mmmmh” Root sighed around Shaw’s finger as Shaw pulled it out slowly out and watched as Root slid her finger out or her cunt. 

The ex-Marine couldn’t stand just watching anymore and she slid her hand under Root’s and slid her own fingers through Root’s folds, marveling at how soft and wet she was. Root gasped and moved against Shaw’s hand. She was so far gone she felt like she needed to climb on top of Shaw’s hand and ride it to get the release she needed. 

Shaw resumed kissing Root and running her fingers in and out of Root and over her clit. “Deeper” Root whined as Shaw’s thrusts remained mostly shallow. 

Shaw grunted and pulled one of Root’s legs up so she had her foot resting on one of the lower bars. Shaw began fucking Root aggressively, while biting and kissing her lips. “Oh god” Root panted into Shaw’s mouth and the shorter woman brought her other thumb up to caress Root’s clit while she pumped inside her. 

Root felt her orgasm barrel down on her as her legs trembled and Shaw plundered her mouth and her cunt. She grasped the bars tightly and groaned her climax into Shaw’s mouth as the frissons pulsed through her body and she jerked against the metal. 

As her heart rate started to come down Root felt Shaw slowly slide her fingers out of her and felt an odd tinge at the possibility of Shaw perfunctorily wiping her hand off and leaving her there. But the ex-agent surprised her by gently sliding her panties up and pulling her jeans back up over her hips and buttoning them. 

Then even though Root wasn’t looking directly at her yet, Shaw placed her hands around the bars outside of where Root’s hands were, Shaw’s thumb knuckles brushing lightly against the backs of the hacker’s hands. Shaw stayed like that for twenty or thirty seconds, her posture mirroring Root’s but on the outside of the cage. 

Root still didn’t make eye contact with Shaw, not wanting to overwhelm her with whatever emotions might be showing in her face. But the taller woman marveled at the moment Shaw was sharing with her. Root catalogued how Shaw looked, what their hands brushing against each other felt like, the solidity of the shorter woman standing across from her, the silence except for their breath. If nothing else in this messed up world, Root thought, she’d always have this. And that…that could be enough. 

“The boys are coming back,” Shaw said, pulling Root out of her daze. “Ah yes, there are probably more numbers to save,” Root replied, knowing she probably still looked wrecked but not of the mind to care that much. 

This time the two men stopped short in front of the two women. Root and Shaw were no longer standing close together and neither had their hands on the bars. Finch wrinkled his nose. 

“What’s going on?” Reese asked innocently. Shaw stared at him. “I was just reminding our prisoner here that I dropped off some apples for her so she owes me a favor,” she said. 

Root’s face broke into a smile. She glanced toward the ceiling while counting on her fingers. “I think I might owe you…” she paused, “two.” 

“I’m putting you down for four. I’m charging interest,” Shaw said. Root looked downright delighted. She walked back to the desk and sat in the chair behind it. “Oh, I’m definitely up for paying back interest. I hear the rates are astronomical these days,” the hacker said innocently. 

Finch looked bewildered then uncomfortable and hurried toward the stairs. Reese and Shaw swapped blank looks for a moment and John thought out of the corner of his eye he saw Root flare her nostrils at him. But maybe he just imagined it. “We’ve got to get going, Shaw” he said, “We just got another number.” She rolled her eyes. “No rest for the wicked,” Root sing-songed. “Oh wait, Shaw, here’s something for the road,” she added while opening the desk drawer. She then threw something small at Shaw who caught it mid-air. “You had ketchup here the whole time and didn’t tell me?” the shorter woman bellowed, “What the hell Root!” 

“It must have slipped my mind.” Root shrugged and smiled as the pair walked down the stairs. “Now I need to get more fries,” Shaw groused as she and Reese left the building.


End file.
